Peter Rogers meanwhile is the central figure in a serious trial of strength between Cardiff the

Peter Rogers, meanwhile, is the central figure in a serious trial of strength between Cardiff, the most powerful club in Wales, and the administrators at ERC.A clear favourite for the Lions loose-head berth at the end of the season, Rogers left Newport for Cardiff after the original ERC registration deadline, but before a later, front-row specific deadline expired. Cardiff claim they were told by an ERC source that Rogers could be made available for tonight’s major rumble with Bath, but Derek McGrath, the tournament chief executive, is adamant that he is ineligible. The Cardiff management were meeting last night to discuss their next move.There is also serious concern over Norm Berryman, the outhouse-sized New Zealand centre, who turned out for Castres at Bath last weekend only a few days after playing National Provincial Championship rugby in his own country. Poor McGrath is certainly finding life interesting as he settles into his new job.On a happier note, Kingsley Jones was yesterday confirmed as Gloucester’s captain for the remainder of the season after leading the West Countrymen to an Heineken Cup victory over Llanelli at Stradey Park a week ago. Jones, as good a raconteur as he is an open-side flanker, led the Cherry and Whites to a top three finish in last season’s English Premiership before handing over to the All Black lock, Ian Jones, for the new term. The New Zealand Jones lasted less than a month and a half before quitting the captaincy, so the Welsh Jones is back on duty “It’s a great honour,” he said “I think I’m a good skipper.” That he is.. Tim Henman completed a comprehensive two-set victory over the Italian Fabrice Santoro in the CA Trophy in Vienna yesterday.

But his fellow Briton Greg Rusedski, who could have faced Henman in the quarterfinals, lost to Fernando Vicente, of Spain, 6-2, 6-7, 6-2. Tim Henman completed a comprehensive two-set victory over the Italian Fabrice Santoro in the CA Trophy in Vienna yesterday. But his fellow Briton Greg Rusedski, who could have faced Henman in the quarterfinals, lost to Fernando Vicente, of Spain, 6-2, 6-7, 6-2.
Henman never looked in danger of losing after taking his second break point in the fourth game to lead 3-1. Games then went with serve, but, with the advantage of serving first, the British No 1 held on to win the opening set 6-3.Breaks in the first and third games of the second set put Henman well on his way to his triumph in little over an hour. Santoro then held serve and broke back to give him a glimmer of a hope.

But when Henman achieved his third break, thanks to a Santoro error in the seventh game, it was all but over. Henman served the match out to maintain his consistent form.Rusedski never showed the level of play that had defeated the Olympic champion, Yevgeny Kafelnikov, in the first round. But he forced Vicente into a third set after capitulating 6-2 in the opener and then slipping 4-2 behind in a tie-break. Digging deep into his reserves, he won five successive points and took the second set 7-6, the winning shot being an overhead smash at the net.The fightback did not continue in the deciding set, however, which Rusedski lost as easily as the first. A break of serve in the sixth game set Vicente up for victory and he broke again, aided by a Rusedski double-fault, in the final game.In Tokyo, the top seed, Gustavo Kuerten, paid for erratic baseline play by dropping the first set against the Italian Andrea Gaudenzi before recovering his poise to move into the quarter-finals of Japan Open. Also progressing was Mark Philippoussis, whose game has been rejuvenated by a new coach, Peter McNamara.Kuerten began his comeback in the fifth game of the second set, when he broke the Italian’s serve on the way to a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win.

The Brazilian leader of the ATP Champions Race turned to drop shots and came up with early breaks in the second and third sets to seal victory. “I just played better in the important points after the first set and that is what you need to win matches like this,” Kuerten said. He now plays the No 7 seed, Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia, in the last eight after he beat his compatriot Karol Kucera, the ninth seed, 6-4, 6-4.Philippoussis, who was playing against the South Korean qualifier Yoon Yong-il, went to a first set tie-break, but, thanks to his booming serve, came through to win, 7-6, 6-4.. Tim Henman completed a comprehensive two-set victory over the Italian Fabrice Santoro to set up a possible quarter-final meeting with his British compatriot Greg Rusedski in the CA Trophy. Tim Henman completed a comprehensive two-set victory over the Italian Fabrice Santoro to set up a possible quarter-final meeting with his British compatriot Greg Rusedski in the CA Trophy.
The British No 1 dropped just five games against Santoro in Vienna yesterday and never looked in danger of losing after taking his second break point in the fourth game to lead 3-1. Games then went with serve but Henman held the advantage of serving first to win the opening set 6-3.Breaks in the first and third games of the second set, together with held serves, put Henman well on his way to his triumph in little over an hour. Santoro then held serve and broke back to give him a glimmer of a hope.

But when Henman achieved his third break, thanks to Santoro’s chipped shot into the net in the seventh game, it was all but over.Henman served out to claim an easy win and maintain his consistent form.In Tokyo, the top seed, Gustavo Kuerten, paid for erratic baseline play by dropping the first set against the Italian Andrea Gaudenzi before recovering his poise to move into the quarter-finals of Japan Open. Also progressing was Mark Philippoussis, whose game has been rejuvenated by a new coach, Peter McNamara.Kuerten began his comeback in the fifth game of the second set, when he broke the Italian’s serve on the way to a 3-6 6-3 6-4 win. The Brazilian leader of the ATP Champions Race turned to drop shots and came up with early breaks in the second and third sets to seal victory. “I just played better in the important points after the first set and that is what you need to win matches like this,” Kuerten said. He now plays the No 7 seed, Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia, in the last eight after he beat his compatriot Karol Kucera, the ninth seed, 6-4, 6-4.Philippoussis, playing against the South Korean qualifier Yoon Yong-il, went to a first set tie-break but thanks to his booming serve came through to win, 7-6, 6-4.